BIRTHDAYS

TODAY: Mr Mohamed Al-Fayed, chairman of Harrods Holdings, 63; Professor Gillian Beer, President of Clare Hall, Cambridge, 61; Mr Nicholas Bomford, Headmaster, Harrow, 57; Sir Wilfrid Bourne QC, former Permanent Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Office, 74; Dr Robert Burchfield, former editor of the Oxford English Dictionary Supplement, 72; Mr John Bury, theatre, opera and film designer, 71; Mr Michael Collins, clarinettist, 34; Sir Kenneth Corfield, former chairman, STC, 72; Mrs Mairead Corrigan- Maguire, joint Nobel Peace prizewinner, 52; Mr Michael Craig, actor and playwright, 67; Baroness Cumberlege, Under-Secretary, Department of Health, 53; Lord Dunboyne, former circuit judge, 79; Sir John Eccles, physiologist, 93; Air Commodore the Hon Timothy Elworthy, Captain of the Queen's Flight, 58; The Right Rev Henry Halsey, former Bishop of Carlisle, 77; Brigadier Rita Hennessy, former matron-in-chief, QARANC, 63; Mr John Hopkins, playwright, 65; Senor Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Director-General, Unesco, 62; Mr Alan Milburn MP, 38; Miss Nina Milkina, concert pianist, 77; Baroness Rawlings, former MEP, 57; Mr Mordecai Richler, novelist and playwright, 65; Lord Rix, actor and former secretary-general of Mencap, 72; Mr Roger Sims MP, 66; Mr Neville Trotter MP, 64; Sir William van Straubenzee, former MP, 72; Lord Vinson, inventor, and Chairman, Institute of Economic Affairs, 65.

TOMORROW: Mr Alan Alda, actor, 60; Mr Bobby Ball, comedian, 52; Mr Mikhail Baryshnikov, dancer, 48; Mr Acker Bilk, jazz clarinettist, 66; Mr James Callaghan MP, 69; Miss Enid Castle, Principal, Cheltenham Ladies' College, 60; Sir Oliver Chesterton, chartered surveyor, 83; Mr James Cran MP, 52; Mr John Edmonds, general secretary, GMB, 52; Mr Michael Falcon, former chairman, Norwich Union Insurance, 68; Mr Glyn Ford, MEP, 46; Sir Anthony Garner, parliamentary and public affairs consultant, 69; Miss Frances Gumley, television and radio producer and broadcaster, 41; Mr John Hughes, former Principal of Ruskin College, Oxford, 69; Mr Bill Jordan, president, AEEU, 60; Sir Timothy Kitson, chairman, Provident Financial plc, and former MP, 65; Professor David Lodge, author, 61; Mr Alfred Marks, actor and comedian, 75; The Rev David Morris, MEP, 66; Mr Claes Oldenburg, pop artist, 67; Mr Gordon Prentice MP, 45; Mr Nick Raynsford MP, 51; Mr Ronnie Scott, jazz musician, 69; Maj-Gen Martin Sinnatt, former senior executive and secretary, Kennel Club, 68; Sir Trevor Skeet MP, 78; Mr Ian Sloane, ambassador to Mongolia, 58; Professor John Tavener, composer, 52; Mr David Thompson, former chairman, Rank Xerox UK, 64; Sir Michael Weir, former diplomat, 71; The Rev Barrington White, former Principal, Regent's Park College, Oxford, 62; The Right Rev James Whyte, former moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 76; Lord Windlesham, Principal, Brasenose College, Oxford, 64; Robert Wyatt, rock musician, 51.